Mew
No, not the Pokemon.
Danish Prog-Rock band Mew has secured a permanent place on my Zune (yes, I still use a Zune). I’ve been obsessed with Mew for awhile and even though their last full release was back in 2009, the infatuation persists. There is still so much of Mew left to soak up like a sponge. This music is extremely dense.
The first thing you’ll notice about any Mew track is the insanely high pitched front man Jonas Bjerre, but anyone scared away by his angelic voice is missing out on something amazing. The pitch may be high but the subject matter is usually anything but bubbly. The soprano vocals belt out lyrics that change perspective from tacks to track, putting you on a roller-coaster time machine. Here are just a few memorable lines that play on loop in my head, most any time I’m alone. \/ \/ \/
“Callie if you really want me to, I can always get you down. If you got the money for me.”
“Why are you looking grave? Are you thinking of something to say? Why are you sitting there? Are you hoping that someone will stare?”
“All I do is run tonight. Even twice as sweet but half as bright. I did not intend to impersonate a friend”
A lot of the time, it’s not even the words themselves but rather they way Jonas will mispronounce and slur them to create double meaning. In one song (Panda) a line “I’ll try to like horses” is repeated and slurred into “I’ll try to like myself” or the subtle undertone of “Good-bye Sex” buried beneath the cold robotic chorus of “1.5.6.“. [At least that’s what I think is going on.] The vocals are layered, both in lyrics and execution.
What’s even more amazing is that despite how insanely well crafted the vocals are, they don’t seem to tower over the rest of the band. To be honest I’m not usually super fan of this type of music, at least not to the point where it can change my life. Yet somehow, Mew always seems to bolt so much technical fruition into each verse that it’s hard not be sucked in by their airtight wall of sound. Part-for-part, everything is full, on-point and dramatic. Whether it’s the relaxed, catchy beats in Beach, the heart-wrenching strings in White Lips Kissed or the “borderline crying” conclusion of Louise Louisa, nothing is without bold purpose and place.
My favorite part of any Mew album are the drops. The build and crash in songs like She Spider and I am worry no still give me goose bumps. Just listen to a few of these (at least up until the marked drop).
Start from the beginning, get goose bumps @ 0:32
Start from the beginning, get goose bumps@ 1:18
Did you feel that? If not, I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time, but I would like to thank you for listening. Mew is so important to me, that I honestly feel like everyone should give them a shot.
About the Author
Joe-Lou is an offbeat musician from Providence RI. His real job involves designing exhibits, but by night he does this stuff.
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